Kotagiri In Nilgiri Hills
Travel To India > Nilgiri Hills > Kotagiri In Nilgiri HillsKotagiri in Nilgiri Hills is the finest climate possessor hill station in Nilgiri hills; the town is a 30km smooth ride from Ooty and 23km from Coonoor. Situated at a height of 6511 above the sea level, it is protected by the harsh southwest monsoon by the Doddabetta hills which makes it a little warmer than Ooty, Coonoor and Mettupalayam. The former name of the place Kota Keri or Kota-gherry meaning the street of Kotas symbolizes the dominance of local tribe in the region. The region is blessed by the diety "Kamaatraya", the worship of whose temple is the sole religious ritual of Kotas during the day of "Anaudra Dharshan". John Sullivan, the first man to set foot on Nilgiri camped at Dimbatti, a village close to Kotagiri. The hill station is home to plantations of tea and coffee, British built cottages, picnic and trekking spots.
Kodanad view point: A village separated from Kodagiri by a distance of 18kms from the eastern frontier, is rich in plains and slopes. The border is the prime focal point in which the visibility of the linings of Western and Eastern Ghats are distinct. The tourism department has installed multiple telescopes for the tourist to have the panoramic view of the valley and tall mountains. This hill provides the spectacular view of two prime locations: The Mysore Plateau and 500 acre farming cooperative, Thengu mara haada.
Catherine Falls: A mere 8km drive from Kotagiri, the fall is named after the wife of Mr. M.D. Cockburn, as the couple was one of the popular gentry of European gentry to set the colonial ambiance in kotagiri pre-independence. The upper fall forms the second largest falls in Nilgiri which makes a leap of 250 feet. The scenery of surrounding countryside forms the part of a gorgeous view from above the falls.
Longwood Shola: Offering a natural tails of Shola forest amidst the god gifted stones, water bodies and moistened trees, the trekking or wandering experience is a soul lifting agent. This is the part of a 116 hectares preserved eco-system of Nilgiri Hills which is the rarest in the country.
RangaSamy Pillar and Rangasamy Peak: The most sacred hill is in a conical shape which manifests the religious sentiments of the community. The mythological Hindu legend, Rangaswamy quarreled with his wife on the plains and secluded him from the world in this mountain. The marks of foot prints at the bottom of the peak near the village Arakadu are the proof of the mythological belief. The north west of Rangaswamy peak, a tall pillar of 400 feet is found.
Other spots of attraction are:
- John Sullivan's bunglow renovated and styled is open to the public, which is located at Kannerimukku, 20 minutes way from the main town.
- Taste the finest Eucalyptus tea or Nilgiri thailum in the nearby tea factories.
- Gold mines can be visited in case of people interested in the extraction and refinement of gold.
- Bel Air Cottage
- Blue Star Hotel
- Misty Heights
- Nahar's Stone House Retreat.